


The Anarchy Sisters

by creampuffqueen



Category: Renegades - Marissa Meyer
Genre: AU, Multi, Mutual Pining, Please read, Romance, and she and nova do some stuff, and she was a prodigy, but this is about evie and her team, except me of course, i had this idea walking to sixth period, i have not cried over nova and adrian being dorks no i have not, i love marissa meyer, i need to shut up now, im writing this at midnight but who cares, in which evie survived, not canon, the AU nobody at all asked for, this is purely self indulgent, we love little baby renegades, would you consider renegades a slow burn? its really a medium burn but whatever
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2020-10-10 09:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20525408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/creampuffqueen/pseuds/creampuffqueen
Summary: An AU in which Evie survived, and she and Nova were both raised by the Anarchists. Evie developed prodigy powers after her first birthday, which earned her the feared alias of Phantom. After a crushing defeat at the parade, Evie and Nova decide to enter the Renegade Trials together- like sisters always should. Together they work together to bring down the Renegades from the inside out. (I'm so sorry I suck at summaries)





	1. Prologue

“Nova, stay inside with Evie.” Though she didn’t know it at the time, those were the last words that six-year-old Nova Artino would hear from her father. She did as she was told, going inside to the baby that she had put to sleep to stop her screaming. 

BANG.

Nova gasped, clutching little Evie close to her chest. She was old enough to know what that sound was. She heard her mother’s shriek, and Nova held her sister to her body as she ran further inside. She scrambled into her parents’ closet and shut the door, letting the darkness envelop her and Evie. 

BANG.

Nova’s mother stopped screaming. And the only sound that Nova could hear was her own heavy breathing in the stifling darkness. She squirmed further back, Evie still in her arms, fast asleep. 

There was a sound through the apartment, a sound of thunderous footfalls, of a person who didn’t care about being heard. 

“Wait for the Renegades.” Nova breathed, to herself, to Evie, “They’ll be here soon.” 

She heard the click of a gun being cocked, and Nova stopped breathing. The person, whoever they were, was coming. They were looking for her and Evie.

“Renegades.” The words were hardly a whisper on her tongue, a silent, desperate plea for help. A prayer that this was all a nightmare, and she’d wake up and everything would be fine. 

Held tight against her body, Evie began to wake. Nova tried to send her power through her again, to keep her quiet, but she was so unfocused, so scared, that her sister merely yawned. 

And then Evie started to cry.

The closet door slammed open, and Nova was met with the face of a weedy, middle aged man, and a gun pointed in her face.

Evie screamed louder, and the man drew the gun away from Nova and directed it at her sister instead. Nova saw her chance, and she wasn’t going to let this man take her  
baby sister the same way he took her parents. She dropped Evie and lunged. 

All it took was one brush of her fingers on his wrist; for her power was already roiling through her, and then he was asleep on the floor at her feet. 

Evie cried, and Nova picked her up again, wiping the tears and snot from her feverish face. 

“It’s okay,” She soothed. “The Renegades will be here soon, and we’ll be okay.” She couldn’t bear to look at the man on the ground, or his still-cocked gun. Nova instead focused on Evie. 

She bounced the baby in her arms, and cooed, and finally managed to put her to sleep again. And with her sister a weight in her arms, Nova glanced down at the floor.

The man was asleep. He would be for a while. They always stayed out longer when her power was used roughly. Despite that, Nova still felt the fear with horrifying clarity, and she couldn’t- she couldn’t. She couldn’t do what she had to do, even to keep Evie safe.

Nova kicked the gun away from the man, not able to touch it. She rocked Evie some more, keeping her in peaceful sleep. And she repeated to herself, over and over again, “The Renegades will come. The Renegades will come.”

She didn’t know how long she stayed there, at the entrance of the closet, eying the man before her with fear in her eyes and tears running down her face. But it may have been an eternity, for all Nova cared.

A thump sounded at the front door, and Nova let out an alarmed squeak before running back inside the closet. She curled around Evie, hiding behind coats and dresses and boxes full of clutter. She didn’t move.

“Nova? Are you in here?” Nova’s breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t hear the person clearly, hidden as she was. But- a Renegade? It had to be one, and they were here to help-

“Nova, you’re safe now. It’s Uncle Alec.” She breathed a sigh of relief. Not a Renegade, but close enough. Uncle Alec was tough, he’d help them. 

Nova opened the door of the closet, Evie on her hip. Uncle Alec stood in the door way to the bedroom, looking concerned. Nova couldn’t help the sob that escaped her throat as she ran into his arms.

“Nova.” He said gently. “My little Nightmare. It’s all going to be okay.” He rubbed circles on her back as she cried, sniffling into his shirt. 

He let her stay there for a few moments, then he nudged her up.

“Take your sister to the living room, you hear me? I’ll come get you in a moment.” And Nova did as she was told, and she sat on the couch with Evie and waited.

BANG.

Nova yelped, tears running anew down her face. The gunshots echoed in her ears, needling their way into her head. Alec emerged from the bedroom a moment later, and Nova tried not to look at the handgun he was tucking into his back pocket.

“Let’s go.” Alec’s voice was soft, and he held out his arms for his nieces. Nova ran for him again, and he lifted her off the ground without a second thought. Still in Nova’s arms, Evie squirmed awake again. 

“What about the Renegades? Won’t they be here soon?” Nova asked. She buried her face in his shoulder, tears making steady tracks down her face.

“No, you two are going to go with me. Alright? We don’t need the Renegades.” Alec’s voice was still gentle, though it held a spike of venom that Nova dismissed. 

He took Evie from Nova, and held one girl in each arm. He walked them from the apartment quickly. Though, even with his brisk pace, Nova still caught sight of sticky red coating the side of the porch.

“Uncle Alec-”

“I think,” He murmured, “It’s time that you started calling me Uncle Ace.”


	2. Chapter One

The first time it happened was exactly one week after Evie’s first birthday, when she, now able to walk, walked right _through_ Nova on her way to hug her.

After two weeks it became normal. Nova could put people to sleep with her touch. Uncle Ace could move things with his mind. So why shouldn’t Evie be able to walk through   
things and people like she was a ghost?

Nova and Evie stayed in the cathedral, hardly ever seeing the light of day. Nova didn’t particularly mind, because the thought of the outside world make her feel sick to her stomach. 

In the two months that they’d been with Uncle Ace and his friends, Nova hadn’t slept once. She’d put others to sleep plenty, yet the only person she couldn’t make sleep was herself.

“Interesting.” That was all Leroy said to her when she mentioned that she didn’t sleep anymore. Most things were ‘interesting’ to Leroy, she’d discovered. However, Nova wasn’t ‘interested’ in being his latest science experiment, so she often clung to the legs of the others.

Sometimes at night she’d hear gunshots. Sometimes one, sometimes many. They rattled her, even so deep inside the cathedral. Whenever that happened, she’d hug Evie closer and bury her nose in her baby-soft skin, because Evie was the only one who could make her feel better. She had to be strong for her.

Then the day came when Uncle Ace dragged Nova and Evie deep into the catacombs, and gave them some snacks and four water bottles, and told them to wait until someone came to get them.

Nova never wished for sleep more, because at least if she was asleep she wouldn’t hear the guns and the bombs and the screams. If she was asleep she might have been able to ignore the shaking of the tunnels and not worry that they’d all come crashing down around her.

She was scared, but she was bored too, and so was Evie. Nova kept her baby sister asleep most of the time, because Evie was restless and if she walked through a wall Nova worried she may never find her again. 

They spent four days in the catacombs. The last day Nova went entirely without food or water, because she saved it all for Evie. She was hungry and thirsty and fairly convinced that Uncle Ace and the others had forgotten about them. 

Then Honey came, and even though she was favoring one leg and her wrist was bent at an awkward angle and she was scratched and scraped all over, she still picked up Evie and led Nova out. She didn’t miss the tears in the older woman’s eyes, but she was too nervous to ask what was wrong.

Six-year-old Nova and one-year-old Evie Artino got to share a train cart in their new home. It had a sleeping bag in one corner, and a crib with five broken bars in another, but it was home. Nova never complained, because these were the people who took her and Evie in, so why would she ever complain to them?

Evie’s second birthday was underground. Instead of cake she got a jar of honey, and for a present she got a little marionette doll from Winston. 

She was talkative now, chattering the ear off of anyone who would listen. Her powers had developed more, so now she could walk through people and things, and when she stood in the shadows she disappeared completely. Nova hated playing hide-and-seek with her. 

Leroy taught Nova math and science, and if he was in a really good mood, which was rare, then he’d let her mess around with some of his safer chemicals. Ingrid taught Evie to read and write, and she showed Nova how to take things apart and put them back together again, but better.

Nova was ten years old when she was taken on her first mission, protected faithfully by Ingrid, Phobia, and Winston. Evie and Honey had the flu, and they didn’t have any medicine. 

“The Renegades are hoarders.” Ingrid snarled as they crept through alleyways. “They don’t share, even when people need it. So we’re going to take it, and maybe one day it’ll get through their stupid heads that everyone needs medicine, no matter where they’re from.”

They got into the hospital easily enough, through a window that one of Winston’s sources had left open. Phobia and Ingrid guarded, and Nova and Winston filled giant trash bags with every little bottle they could get their hands on. (“To save for later” Ingrid insisted)

They had almost gotten out when someone shouted, and suddenly a person was charging at Nova and yelling. She dropped the bag, and when they crashed into her, her power had them in a sleeping lump on the pavement in half a heartbeat.

By the next time they went out, Ingrid had helped Nova make a mask that fit her whole face, so nobody could see her. And after her tenth mission, she had a reputation.

_Nightmare_, they called her. The little girl who could put people to sleep with a touch, the little girl who was with the Anarchists and stealing and causing chaos.

Evie, four years old, was instantly jealous.

“Why don’t I get to go on missions?” She whined. “I can go through stuff! Can you take me next time?” 

“Another time, Evie. When you’re older.” 

And she could throw a tantrum or whine or pout or walk through people just to prove a point, but everyone stood firm in their decisions. When she was older. 

Nova found herself agreeing with the Anarchists more and more every day. Why should the Renegades be allowed to control the people? Why should they decide who could do what, why should they be the ones to call the shots?

And for all they preached about wanting a better world and being dependable, they had failed to show up. They had failed to save her parents, and if Nova was not a prodigy with the powers she had then both she and Evie would be dead too. And the Renegades had not stopped it.

Evie blew the candles out on her birthday cake on the day she turned 10, then turned to Nova and begged to come with them.

How could any of them say no anymore? Evie’s potential was wasting away with her down in the tunnels. She was so pale she looked like a ghost, her face was thinning and so were her arms and legs. She’d be a skeleton if she stayed in the dark for much longer.

So for her birthday present, Ingrid and Nova made her a mask. And they got her a hood to cover her head. And that night half stayed in the tunnels, and the other half took Evie to the library.

They got away without incident, weapons stashed any place they could fit them. Evie was grinning from ear to ear, because her whole life she’d been taught that this was right, and she was being helpful, and this was the best thing to do. 

It was her second mission that went awry. Evie, Leroy, and Honey went to buy some certain chemicals that Leroy needed for an experiment, but the woman that they usually traded with wasn’t there, and a Renegade was in her place. 

The person grabbed Evie by the arm, but they couldn’t hold her. After all, how do you hold onto someone when they can literally walk through you? Evie escaped, and the Renegade fainted. 

By the time Evie’s fifth mission was underway, she had a name, too. Phantom, because even with a mask they could tell she was deathly pale, and because she could walk through people and objects like a ghost. Evie was ecstatic.

Nova was proud of her baby sister. They’d both gone from being scared little girls to being some of the most feared Anarchists in the city. Nobody knew their names, but everyone knew they were young. And that made them even scarier.

_Phantom_. That was what they called her. _Phantom and Nightmare, the Anarchy Sisters_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God I love the Renegades. I love Marissa Meyer.


	3. Chapter Two

“Phantom, do you have a good visual? We’ve got five minutes and counting, tell us now if you need to move.”

Ingrid’s voice crackled over the headset that Evie Artino had connected inconspicuously to her ear. The eleven-year-old girl was perched on the roof of an abandoned office complex, face hidden behind a mask as she waited.

This mission had been in the works for months. And now, they had one shot to get it right. She shifted slightly, looking over the edge of the roof to the streets below. 

“I’m clear. Nightmare, how’s it going up there?” Evie was part of this really only for damage control. And by damage control, making sure that if everything went right, Ingrid didn’t bring down half the buildings in the city with her bombs. It was Nightmare who was getting the shot. Or, as Evie knew her, Nova. Her big sister.

“I’m nearly in position. Two minutes, tops.” Evie peeked further over the edge, where the sidewalks were lined with rows and rows of screaming, adoring, mindless fans. 

The colors were bright and chaotic, and there were countless kids, children even older than her, who were dressed up in superhero costumes to look like the Renegades. It was sickening. How could they not realize just how toxic all of this was?

The first of the parade floats came into view, accompanied by screams and shouts of joy. A team of Renegades threw candy into the throngs of people, like monarchs throwing gold coins at peasants as they passed. 

“Nightmare?”

“Calm down, I’m on my way.” Another float was coming around the corner, bearing more flashy prodigies for the people to worship. Evie kept her gaze pinpointed at the corner, waiting for the right moment. Across the street she knew that Phobia waited, and Ingrid was just a few buildings down. Nova was waiting further down, at a location and position they’d spent countless hours calculating. She would have seconds, if that. 

And of course, she’d only have that time if she got there when she was supposed to. Evie couldn’t help feeling nervous; after all, if this went wrong, they could likely all be arrested and taken away. 

The next float pulled around the corner, this one containing a group of Renegades with extra limbs or extremities, for the people to gawk and awe over. Evie counted the seconds it took the float to pull all the way around the corner and for the next one to appear.

34 seconds, more or less. Leroy and Nova had done their research and math well. She twiddled her thumbs as she kept counting, kept calculating and reciting formulas in her head. The floats had to be on time- if they weren’t, if they were early, it would spell disaster.

“Nightmare.” This time it was Phobia who spoke. “Where are you? You’ve got 49 seconds to get in position now.”

“I’m getting there.” Nova’s voice crackled over the headset, scratching Evie’s ears from the inside out. 

Evie crossed her fingers and bounced on the balls of her feet, trying to do something, anything, to keep her from losing it here on the roof. She had to make it. She had to, so that way everything would be good again, like it should. So the people could be free, and think for themselves, and the Renegades reign would end-

“10 seconds, Nightmare.” Ingrid’s voice shook with barely contained anger and frustration. Evie trembled in her too-small boots, wrapping her arms around herself and squeezing. Trying to keep her nerves inside her, so she wouldn’t distract Nova, so she’d get there in time-

A deafening roar came from the crowds below, so loud that Evie instinctively clapped her hands over her ears. She glanced down, watching the Council’s float pull around the corner. 

They were all on pedestals, parading like kings and queens. Captain Chromium flexing, Blacklight creating fireworks of pure light, Thunderbird spreading her wings and summoning flashes of lightning. People screamed and cheered, and even from the height she was at, Evie could see the adoration on their faces. It was disgusting. 

“I’m in position.” Nova’s voice over the headset startled Evie, enough that she stumbled. She caught herself before she fell over into the street, but her mask slipped from her face and clattered onto the sidewalk. 

Evie cursed softly, backing away from the edge. If anyone saw that- oh, she’d be in so much trouble.

Out of the corner of her eye, Evie saw the blur of a dart, shot from a roof across the street. She held her breath as it sailed through the air, headed dead-on for its target: Captain Chromium’s eye.

But he turned his head. Just barely, hardly an inch. It was enough, though. The metal dart bounced harmlessly off his skin, and everyone in the crowd screamed. 

Evie shrank further down on the roof, listening to Nova’s curses crackle through the headset. The connection was sputtering, hissing in her ears as the other Anarchists joined in. 

“Scatter.” Phobia demanded. “Scatter, meet back in the tunnels later. They’ll be searching the whole place in a matter of minutes.”

“Phantom, come with me.” Ingrid demanded. Evie picked herself up from the concrete and ran to the opposite edge from before. Ingrid would be five buildings down. 

As she prepared her escape, screams of terror echoing in her ears, Evie suddenly heard something else.

She looked up. Rapidly rising over the buildings was a hot air balloon. It was crudely decorated, with black markings and red spots that looked similar to Winston’s face. And Evie realized with a jolt that was Winston in the balloon.

More cursing in her headset. He was supposed to stay behind, what was he doing-

“Phantom, get over here. Thunderbird is flying and heading your way.” Evie gulped, looking over the skyline for confirmation. Sure enough, Thunderbird had taken flight, and was slowly coming the tops of buildings. 

She heard more screams from below, and when she looked, she saw Winston leaning out of his balloon, golden strings coming from his fingers. 

Evie took one last glance at both Thunderbird and Winston, and made her escape. Her power flooded through her, making her feel light as air. She slipped through the ceiling effortlessly, as if she were simply floating down.

She was on the ground and solid in about thirty seconds, and then she was running; shoving through the gathered people with her head down and her hood pulled tight over her face.

The screams seemed to follow her as she ran, cries of ‘Anarchists!’ and ‘Puppeteer!’ ringing in her ears.

Her boots slammed on the pavement with every step, but with the massive crowds, it was getting harder and harder to push her way through.

Someone moved slightly as she barrelled towards them, and Evie couldn’t stop herself in time. She and the other person went sprawling on the ground in a heap. In all the commotion, her headset was ripped from her, along with her hood. Evie lay on the concrete, panting, pale skin and dark hair on show for everyone around.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. Are you all right?” Above her, a dark-skinned girl who looked around her age held out her hand. Evie glanced at her, then decided better of it and pushed herself up.

“I’m fine. Gotta go-” She started, but the girl cut her off.

“Where are you even heading in such a hurry? You’re going to knock more people down if you keep running like that.”

“I’m fine,” Evie insisted. “And I’ll be more careful. My sister is waiting for me.” That, at least, was a partial truth. 

“Get inside.” The girl said. “If The Puppeteer sees you-”

Now it was Evie’s turn to cut her off. “I’ll be fine. I’m not afraid of The Puppeteer.” The girl looked like she wanted to protest, but she never got the chance. Evie dashed off, this time much more carefully.

Above her she still saw the hot air balloon, and the thin golden strings attached to Winston’s fingers as the man laughed maniacally. 

With her headset gone, Evie could no longer receive information from the others. Ingrid had likely given up waiting on her and had saved her own hide. She knew all the ways to get back to the tunnels unnoticed, and she could get back easily enough.

Even so, she’d rather at least have someone to back her up. Seeing that Leroy was… otherwise occupied, her next best option was Nova. As for Phobia, she’d never go anywhere with him alone unless it was a life-or-death situation.

In the background she heard shouting, sounds of Renegades trying to calm the situation. She couldn’t help but feel a bit proud of her sister; despite the fact she’d missed the big shot, she’d still caused enough chaos to keep everyone occupied.

It was when she looked up again that she saw it: A dark blur jumping from the roof of a nearby building, landing squarely in the basket of the hot air balloon. 

Nova. Evie set her sights on the balloon, dodging screaming people in the streets. As she got closer to the balloon she tugged her hood back over her face, simultaneously shielding her from the sun and keeping others from seeing any identifying features. She couldn’t just go risking her identity, could she now?

The balloon was sinking slightly, careening towards an abandoned apartment complex at the end of the street. Now or never, she supposed.

“It’s Nightmare!” Someone shrieked, pointing at Nova in the basket of the balloon. Evie couldn’t see her sister’s face, not with her matching weighted hood, but she could see the panic evident in her body language.

Evie shoved people aside as she ran for the rapidly descending balloon, hearing people screaming ‘Phantom!’ along with a chorus of other Anarchist names. 

Winston grinned maliciously as he saw Evie approaching, another golden string flashing from his fingertips. Evie’s heart plummeted; Winston could be kind, but when he was in this zone, no child was safe. And that included her, his ally.

She still ran, though she poised herself to leap out of the way should Winston try to string her up like one of his marionette dolls. In the basket, Nova rifled through her pockets; searching for something.

The balloon dropped lower and lower, sinking far enough that Evie could have jumped up and touched the bottom of the basket with her hand. If they didn’t do something soon, the balloon could crash into the streets and people below.

“Come on little Phantom.” Winston mocked. “Can’t you reach us yet?” Evie’s hands curled into fists. She saw red. _How dare he._

The golden thread sprang from Winston’s left pinky finger, growing rapidly and reaching for her. Evie tensed her muscles, ready to dodge The Puppeteer, when she heard a  
guttural scream.

Nova shoved Winston over the side of the basket with one massive push, sending the older man sprawling onto the concrete. At the same moment, relieved from its weight, the balloon shot back up towards the sky. 

And in the same moment, Evie launched herself forward, reaching for her sister’s outstretched hand. Nova grabbed onto her wrist and held her flush against the basket as the balloon rose back up. 

Below, Evie heard more screaming, more cries of her alias. But all she could think about was not falling from what seemed like a thousand feet in the air. Nova tugged at her, but with the angle she held her, pulling her inside the basket would be difficult. Already she could feel her wrist aching to the point of dislocation.

The balloon cleared the buildings at the end of the street, though Evie could still hear and see the terrified people below them. 

Sweat flowed down her back, from heat and from the sheer terror of heights she’d never realized she’d had until now. Nova grunted from inside the basket, still trying to haul her over the lip.

The crack of a gun pierced the air, and Nova flinched. Evie yelped, feeling herself slipping further. Another gunshot rang out.

With a gasp, Evie felt her whole body become weightless again, and she slipped inside the basket and landed with a thump at her sister’s feet. She’d forgotten about her abilities.

Nova let out a hysterical laugh and collapsed beside her, holding her face in her hands.

“Evie, I’d really like it if you could remember that you have literal _intangibility_ next time you’re hanging out of a hot air balloon.”

Laughter bubbled up from her throat. “Do you plan on there being a next time, Nightmare?”

Nova snorted. “Not unless you want another near-death experience, Phantom.”

The two sisters held each other in the basket of the hot air balloon. And below them, Winston Pratt suddenly found himself surrounded by Renegades, and in a very sticky situation indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! I held off on this for a while, but its here now, and I just want to say thank you to the wonderful person who inspired me to get this out so soon! 
> 
> Check me out on Tumblr, under the user creampuffqueen!


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Area 51 Raid Day! Here's a new chapter to read on your way to Nevada.

Hours later, the Anarchists sat in the tunnels, waiting. The Renegades hadn’t shown hide nor hair all day, and they were expecting an attack at any time. After all, they knew  
where they were located.

While the others were waiting, Evie and Nova were busy getting a new mask made. They hadn’t risked going after it, and it was likely already picked up or thrown away. 

Evie knew it was simply a bit of metal, but she couldn’t help but feel sentimental about it. Nova and Ingrid had made that mask, and it was the one she’d worn on her first mission, over a year ago.

Nova hammered out one of the mask’s edges, not trusting Evie with the tool. If the day had been different, she might have protested her sister’s blatant babying of her, but today was not that day. 

Everyone was on edge, flinching at the slightest sound. Evie stood a few feet away from Nova, because she didn’t want her older sister to move and accidentally knock her out for a few hours. Really, her sleep schedule was already messed up as it was; she didn’t need Nova’s further intervention.

Winston, they knew, would be locked up by now. He couldn’t have been too hurt by Nova’s push, as he was hardly two yards above the ground. And his powers only worked on kids; there was no way he’d gotten free after falling onto a group of Renegades.

Evie had to admit; she felt bad. And though Nova didn’t say anything, if her agitation was any clue, she felt the same. Winston had been a friend, though a mighty strange one.

The hammer came down again, denting the metal in the right place. Evie watched on curiously, trying her best to commit the process to memory. 

One day, she was going to be independent. One day she wouldn’t have to depend on Nova or Leroy or Honey or any of the others. She’d be independent, and she’d be the most feared Anarchist in the city.

Though, of course, that process started with being able to replace her own mask. After all, she supposed, she’d likely be doing this again fairly soon. Evie did not have a good track record for keeping things in place. Just the other day she’d misplaced Honey’s hairbrush, and they were still looking for it.

Outside the old train cart, Evie could hear the soft whispers of the others; discussing the day’s events. Ingrid’s voice rose above the others, preparing an argument.

The hammer struck again, clanging against the metal with such force that the sound echoed down the tunnel. Nova’s blue eyes, twin to Evie’s own, flared with frustration.

“Keep it down, do you want to lead the Renegades right to us?” Honey’s shrill voice pierced the semi-darkness, and Evie shifted uncomfortably.

In response, Nova slammed the hammer against the edge of the train cart, hitting right on the metal lining at the edge. The sound was bad enough that Evie covered her ears, and Honey shrieked again.

Leroy stuck his head inside the car, a fierce scowl adorning his usually placid face.“Both of you, pipe down.”

“I’ll pipe down if I damn well want to.” Nova snarled, though Evie noticed she didn’t have the guts to say it to Leroy’s face. Her sister brought the hammer down again, bending the last part of the mask the way she needed.

Evie held the cool metal against her face, pointing out spots where it was too misshapen or too rough. They didn’t speak more than they needed to, and Evie heard the distinct sounds of the other Anarchists stomping off to their own cars.

Nova allowed Evie to do the details on her mask, the parts that would fit to her own preferences. That, at least, was a start.

As Evie tapped the hammer against the metal, a loud crash sounded outside, in the tunnel. For a split second, the thought she’d knocked something over in the car. But the demanding shout that followed it confirmed that the crash was not caused by her.

“I want the entire place searched; not a single stone left unturned! By the end of this, I want every single Anarchist cuffed and dragged back to headquarters!” 

Evie stilled, feeling the blood drain from her face. _Renegades._ The Renegades were here, and they were out for blood. No matter how many times they’d ransacked the tunnels before, every single instance left Evie shaking and weak, and she didn’t know _why._

Nova gently eased the hammer from her sister’s tightly clenched fists, and placed the tool on the workbench next to the half-finished mask. 

A shaking overtook the old subway station, and the entire tunnel seemed to quiver. Nova cursed softly, a word Evie couldn’t hear, and dragged her out.

They were still behind the train cart, and the tunnels still quaked. No other Anarchist had made an appearance, and Evie wished she knew where they were and what their plan was. 

“Evie.” Nova hissed. She turned to her older sister. “Evie, I need you to do your invisibility thing, just for a second. I need you to see who’s out there, and what their abilities are. I need to know what I'm facing.”

Evie nodded numbly, taking a deep breath. _I’ll be fine. I do more dangerous things every day._ She tried to reassure herself, but it didn’t do much good. They didn’t have time, though. She had to do this.

With half a though, Evie’s body melded into the shadows. Her main, crowd-wowing power was her intangibility. The ability that had earned her the alias Phantom. Her secondary, not advertised power was the ability to become invisible- but only in shadows.

It wasn’t quite as useful as The Dread Warden’s invisibility, the kind he could use anywhere and whenever he wanted, but it had its perks. Especially considering that the subway tunnels were in perpetual shadow at all times.

Even though she knew she couldn’t be seen, Evie couldn’t help but feel terribly exposed as she crept around the side of the cart, careful not to put an inch out of shadow. 

She looked to the Renegades, heart beating frantically inside her chest. A smirking girl and two boys stood on the old platform of the station, looking like they owned the place. 

With the awful trembling from earlier, Evie hadn’t noticed the sounds of a scuffle. But Leroy and Ingrid were handcuffed and on their butts on the concrete. 

Evie heard shouting, and Honey’s shrill scream. Another boy, with the tail of a stingray, dragged the woman from the shadows. Honey’s bees buzzed anxiously around her, stinging the boy over and over again, but he didn’t seem to be affected.

She watched in horror as Honey was shoved roughly into Leroy and Ingrid, a set of handcuffs glinting on her wrists. The look she sent the ray-boy was one of pure flame.

“Aftershock, search the rest of the carts. There should be more than this.” The girl snapped. A seedy looking boy grinned and dashed off, causing the structure to tremble in his wake.

“You’ll find no more down here.” Honey spat. The girl rolled her eyes and picked at her nails, looking bored.

“Queen Bee.” She purred. “The old magazines said you were prettier.” Honey sputtered indignantly, near vibrating with pent-up rage. A swarm of bees and wasps flew at the girl’s face, but the Renegade stopped them easily, freezing them all in shards of ice. Honey looked like she was about to cry.

The shaking footsteps of the other Renegade, which had been far enough away that Evie hardly felt them, suddenly came veering back. She sucked in a sharp breath and scrambled back around the cart to her sister.

“Four Renegades.” She reported. “One’s got ice, one’s got a stingray tail, one is just plain massive, and the other-”

Evie stopped talking and shoved Nova at the side of the cart. The shaking was getting dangerously close, and there was hardly anywhere to hide. 

Nova seemed to have an idea, and she deftly scrambled up the side of the train car. Once she was up, she hoisted Evie up with her, and Evie immediately made herself invisible again.

Nova lied on her stomach, and yanked her hood over her head so her paler skin wouldn’t alert the others to her presence.

“I’m going to arrest Nightmare. And maybe Phantom, too, when I get a hold of her.” The girl was ranting as she paced around the three captured Anarchists.

Nova’s hand moved slowly to her pocket, reaching for one of her homemade weapons. As she did so, Evie saw Leroy glance up at them, when the girl’s back was turned.

The older man didn’t make a sound, hardly moved. But there it was, an almost imperceptible shake of his head. He nudged Honey subtly, and the woman did the same thing: _No._

The earthquake boy came back, looking majorly disappointed that he found no other Anarchists to drag back to his leader. The girl sighed dramatically, but said nothing else to him. Instead, she turned to Ingrid.

“Detonator,” She started. “You’re involved with Nightmare, are you not? I believe you two have been reported together.” 

Ingrid stayed stubbornly silent. That didn’t seem to phase the girl at all. Instead she turned to Honey.

“Queen Bee. Or, Honey Harper, I suppose.” She mused aloud. “You’ve been spotted multiple times with Nightmare. And Phantom, too. Where are they?” It wasn’t really posed as a question, Evie realized. The Renegade girl was making a demand.

“Nightmare and Phantom don’t live here.” Honey snapped. The girl laughed, almost gleefully.

“Lies! Gargoyle, you know what to do.” She snapped her fingers, and the giant man thundered off, a devious smirk across his features.

Evie and Nova sat with bated breath on top of the train car, Nova pressed so hard against the roof that Evie could hear her breaths rasping. 

The giant man, Gargoyle, reappeared a few minutes later. And Evie had to bite her fist to keep herself from crying out. For, clutched in his massive hands, the prodigy held Honey’s hives. Six of them. 

The insects inside were flying all around him, trying to sting him for invading their homes, but Gargoyle’s skin hardened into rough, impenetrable rock.

Honey seemed to realize what he was going to do. She screamed, golden blonde hair unpinned and frizzing around her head, eyeliner running down her cheeks. The Renegade girl chuckled, and snapped her fingers again.

One by one, Gargoyle threw the hives to the floor. The ones that didn’t shatter on impact, they were subject to being crushed beneath his giant stone feet.

Honey lurched forward, still screaming, but was roughly kicked in the chest by a booted foot, and then the ray-boy moved in and jabbed her with his tail. All of her muscles stiffened, and Honey let out a sob. Evie felt like she might do the same.

The buzzing from the bees and wasps was so loud, Evie could hardly hear what was said next. All she saw were Gargoyle’s feet coming down, over and over again, crushing the giant hives into nothing but pulp.

“This can all stop!” The girl shouted. “Tell us where Nightmare and Phantom are hiding, admit to your plans to assassinate the Captain, either will work. Preferably both!” 

Behind her, Gargoyle let out a mad laugh, and Honey sobbed again.

“We had nothing to do with the attack today.” Ingrid hissed. “Nightmare and Phantom acted on their own.”

“I would believe you,” The girl said, not sounding at all convincing, “If it weren’t for the fact that The Puppeteer was also at the parade, and he is a known Anarchist. Tell the truth, and maybe I’ll make this less difficult.”

Leroy, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke up. “Winston acted on his own as well. We had nothing to do with what he did today.”

“Three Anarchists were at the parade today, and one of them tried to kill a Council member. We have every single reason to believe that it was Nightmare who did it. Just tell us where she is, and all this can be over.”

The girl’s voice was silky and sweet, but Evie didn’t believe her for a moment. She knew, they all knew, that as soon as they got bored with them, all three Anarchists  
would be taken into custody. Whether they had done something or not, this team of Renegades would make up some lie or another, and everyone in those massive headquarters would believe them. 

Evie shook with her contained rage, rage at the girl who dared come into their home, who dared to commit such atrocities to Honey-

She bit down another scream as Nova grabbed her wrist and squeezed with such force she thought it would break. Her sister dragged her closer, like she knew what she was thinking and planning.

“I swear, Evie, if you try to go all ghost on me right now, I will knock you out with every bit of my power and have you asleep for a _month._”  
Nova’s voice whispered with such authority that Evie was inclined to obey her, though her heart clench when she looked down again and saw her friends and family.

Ingrid’s fingers twitched in their handcuffs, and Evie saw a tiny spark of blue forming-

“Not on my watch, Detonator.” The girl snapped. One moment, Ingrid was forming a bomb. The next, her hands were completely iced over, the blue spark fading into the shadows. Ingrid screamed, in frustration, and in pain.

It hurt Evie’s heart to stay hidden, to watch the Renegades torture the people she’d come to see as family. Nova still held her in a tight grip, and Evie knew it would bruise, but she could see her older sister was just as distressed.

The stingray boy poked Leroy in different places, so his muscles spasmed and clenched sporadically. When Leroy let out a soft groan of pain, almost drowned out by the buzzing of Honey’s bees, Evie felt a tear slip down her face. 

She wanted to _help._ She wanted to jump down there and show the Renegades who was boss. She wanted to see Nova use them for target practice. She wanted to do something, anything, anything at all-

“Renegades. Stand down.” If Evie wasn’t so concerned with staying hidden, then she would have whipped her head around to see what was going on. Instead, she slowly shifted her weight and looked over Nova’s back, focused on making as little noise as possible.

A person stood at the end of the tunnel, a person in a full suit of armor. Nova stiffened at the sight of them, so tightly wound up that the muscles in her back felt like rocks. 

“Frostbite. By order of the Council, you and your team are to stand down. The situation will be handled from here.” The person started walking closer, at a leisurely pace. The voice was somewhat muffled inside the helmet, but Evie was fairly sure it was a man.

“Who are you?” The girl, Frostbite, demanded. “I haven’t seen you around HQ.” 

“I’m not usually mingling with patrol units. The Council has me on… other assignments.” The voice was deep and commanding. And when he walked closer, the person suddenly took a running leap. He jumped so high his head scraped the ceiling, and landed right next to Frostbite, about twenty yards away.

“And why haven’t we seen or heard of you before, hm?” Frostbite sneered. 

The person put a hand on his hip and raised the other in the air, striking a ridiculous pose. “They call me The Sentinel. And, I was supposed to be kept a secret. Until now, I suppose.”

The Anarchists and Frostbite’s team had gone very still. Even the bees had quieted, finally giving up on stinging Gargoyle into oblivion. 

The person; no, _The Sentinel_, crossed his arms in front of him, staring Frostbite down. 

“I’m in the middle of an interrogation.” She finally said. “I’m not handing off my mission to some experiment of the Council’s.”

“That’s fine.” He said. “I’ll just head back to HQ and report you and your entire team for arresting under false pretenses.”

Evie could hardly believe her ears. The Sentinel was a Renegade, and yet he was willing to sell out his own comrades to uphold their code. Could it be- a Renegade who actually wanted to help? Someone who wanted a better world, who believed in the Council’s code?

Evie shook herself out of her dream. One Renegade who actually followed the code meant absolutely nothing, and she was naive to think it was.

“These are not false pretenses; these are the Anarchists who tried to kill the Captain this morning!” Frostbite snapped. 

“And where is your proof?” Despite the fact that his face was completely covered by his helmet, Evie could practically _hear_ his smirk. Frostbite sputtered incoherently, her pale face going red. 

“That’s what I thought. Frostbite, you and your team are to head back to Headquarters, by order of the Council. If you comply, I will refrain from mentioning what happened  
down here.”

Frostbite, Gargoyle, and the other two Renegades looked like they were contemplating murder. However, when Frostbite scowled and turned away, her team followed.

The group made their way out of the subway tunnels, concrete trembling in the wake of Gargoyle and the earthquake boy. When they were out of sight and earshot, The Sentinel turned towards the three handcuffed Anarchists.

“You’re welcome.” He said gruffly. Nobody spoke. With a huff, he bent down to Ingrid’s frozen hands. He held out his palm, and a small lick of flame sputtered to life in it. 

A prodigy with multiple powers. Powers that shouldn’t have been connected at all. High jump and fire control? Evie tried and failed to see how they were related.

The Sentinel melted enough of the ice around Ingrid’s hands that she’d soon be able to free herself, but left enough to limit her movement. So she couldn’t explode his face the second he turned his back.

“I don’t have a key to your handcuffs. So I think I’ll leave you all here, and if you happen to get free… well, nobody can say it was my fault.”

Evie wanted to thank him. She wanted to hop down from the train cart and thank him for being the only Renegade she’d ever known to actually follow the stupid code, for keeping her family out of jail. However, Nova turned her head slightly and glared at her. Evie decided it was in everyone’s best interests that she stayed put.

The Sentinel glanced down at the others, obviously lost in thought. “Of course,” He murmured, “It would be better for everyone if you could tell me about Nightmare. Phantom, too.”

No one spoke. No one looked at him. The Sentinel was quiet for a few moments, before he stepped away, making his way back down the tunnel.

“More Renegades will come down here. And I’m very inclined to believe that all of them will be willing to make up lies to arrest everyone in this tunnel. I’d be careful if I were you.”

And then he was gone. Leaping unnaturally high through the subway tunnels, and disappearing into the gloom.

Nova kept them up on the cart for about ten minutes, to be sure he was gone. And finally she started to climb down. Evie’s muscles had cramped from staying still for so long.

Nova took a bobby pin from Honey’s hair and used it to pick the locks on all the handcuffs. The rest of the ice cracked around Ingrid’s hands, and the young woman rubbed them fervently to warm them again.

Leroy was still partially paralyzed, but he had enough control to get himself off the ground. It was Honey that Evie was the most worried about.

Honey had stopped crying, but her cheeks were stained with black eyeliner and mascara, and part of her pink lipstick had rubbed off, making her look like she’d badly imitated  
Winston’s face. 

Nova helped her to her feet, but it was Evie who gave her a hug. Honey’s bees and wasps landed all over her, though they didn’t sting. The insects seemed as sad as Honey.

“Whoever that Renegade is,” Ingrid muttered, “I think he’s right. More people are going to come down here, probably for the rest of the week.”

Nova tensed at the mention of The Sentinel, making Evie wonder what, exactly, was her sister’s problem with him. Despite the fact that he was a Renegade, he seemed decent enough. He’d kept them all from jail.

“What do you suggest we do?” Nova finally forced out. Ingrid shrugged, and the two girls turned to Leroy. 

If the man was uncomfortable with the stares on him, he didn’t show it. Evie thought that he might be used to it. Leroy gave them a once-over, and then sighed.

“Do we really have a choice?” He said quietly. Now he had everyone’s attention.

“We have to leave the tunnels.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter isn't the best, but oh well. I just want to thank everyone for their support of this story, because every time I see that I've gotten more kudos or comments it just makes me so dang happy! 
> 
> Check out my tumblr, under the username creampuffqueen!


	5. Chapter Four

“Adrian!” Ten-year-old Max Everhart stood on his tiptoes to wave to his older brother down in the lobby of HQ. Renegades milled about anxiously, as they had been doing ever since the parade had been aired on TV.

Adrian and his teammates made their way up to the quarantine as fast as they could; though it was more like a snail’s pace, with the amount of people they had to push   
through. Max noticed with a start that Danna was missing from the group.

“Hey there, Bandit. What’s up?” Adrian stood with his hands casually in his pockets, but Max could still see where his fingers were fiddling with his marker. He was nervous about something.

A thousand questions were burning in his mind, but Max shoved them all aside and brought up the most important one. “Are Dad and Pops okay?”

The question seemed to make Adrian relax a little, which made Max know his answer instantly. Still, it was nice to hear it from someone’s lips.

“Dad and Pops are fine. And so are the rest of the Council.” Even Ruby and Oscar seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at Adrian’s words. 

“And what about everyone else? Civilians? Did the balloon damage any buildings?” Max couldn’t help the near-interrogation of his brother. The parade had been broadcasted live all over HQ, but after the assasination attempt of Captain Chromium and The Puppeteer’s balloon, the camera crew had instead rushed to help, leaving everyone in the dark about what was going on.

“The only injuries that we were told of were from people tripping over each other trying to get away. Nothing serious.” This time it was Oscar who answered, leaning on his cane as he spoke. Max wondered if that meant he was tired.

“Adrian, can you draw me the balloon?” Max made sure to use the certain smile that he reserved for things like this- asking for his older brother to draw him something he probably would say no to.

And sure enough, Adrian sighed, but pulled out his marker. His sketch of the balloon was rough, but with Adrian’s skills, even his rough drawings were better than the average person’s masterpiece.

The balloon was slowly pushed through the glass, and when Max reached over to grab it, he let out a soft gasp and a “woah”. The balloon was floating, despite the fact it was made of glass. 

Max grinned at Adrian, holding the basket of the balloon delicately, so it wouldn’t float away, but so it wouldn’t shatter either.

“Thanks.” Adrian shrugged, like it was no big deal- like anyone could just casually make a drawing come to life and float through the air. It never failed to amaze Max how humble his brother was.

Max brought the balloon over to his ever-growing rendition of Gatlon City in glass. He put the balloon into the street that the parade had taken place in, where several miniature glass sculptures of the floats were. Adrian had drawn him some that morning, allowing him a sneak peak at the surprise floats.

He placed a few glass figurines inside the basket, weighing the balloon down enough that it hovered a few inches off the ground. Max turned around and gave a thumbs up. Adrian smiled back, and waved, and then walked off to join his teammates. 

And though he was turned away, Max thought, for a split second, he had seen a concerned frown cross Adrian’s face. His brother was bothered by something- something he wasn’t telling anyone.

He felt a small pang in his chest, like he did every day. Every time he wished he could step outside his quarantine. He knew it was for everyone’s own good, but he still couldn’t help but feel slightly resentful, of everyone. Because anyone could go ask his brother what was bothering him, chase him down if need be, and anyone could go and hug his Pops, and Max couldn’t. 

Max was aware, like he was every day, that he’d give up everything in an instant. All his powers, he’d lose them. If only he could be _normal_. 

He trailed away from the glass city, feeling tired. Tired of hoping and wishing and feeling sad for himself. Adrian and his team didn’t look back, but Max did. And he wished that, for once, maybe they’d look back.

But of course, Max couldn’t begrudge them. He couldn’t. They were Renegades, true, working, Renegades. Not like him, his title only and honorary one. Adrian and his team had work to do. And with the assassination attempt on the Captain, it seemed their work would be cut out for them.

He sulked back to his bedroom; if one could call it that. Was a curtained off section in a glass quarantine a bedroom? The floor, like the rest of the room, was totally glass. The only area that was truly private was the restroom, and that was so small he was practically in the sink while he used the toilet.

Max was curled on his bed, still in his pajamas, ready to take a nap so maybe he wouldn’t feel quite so sorry for him, when a loud rap on the glass shocked him out of it.

He pulled himself off the bed and the comforter decorated with comic book panels, and trudged to the window.

When he saw who was awaiting him, he didn’t bother to hide his groan or eye roll. _Maggie_.

The girl was standing with her arms crossed, like she always did. Maggie could be a nice girl… every now and then. Max could count said instances on one hand.

“Magpie.” He started neutrally. 

She sighed, not moving her arms. “Bandit.”

“Do you need something?” He asked, growing slightly annoyed.

Maggie sighed again, shaking her head. Her dark hair was cut to her collarbone, and it swayed with her head when she moved it. Max found it distracting.

“If there’s nothing you need, I’m going back.” 

“No, don’t go. I do need something from you.” As Maggie spoke, her own teammates crept up to the quarantine, looking pityingly at Max.

Linette, alias Spitfire, made her way to Maggie to stand by her and look mildly threatening. Daniel, alias Worldwide, stood off to the side more, though he didn’t look any less upset.

“Great.” Max muttered under his breath. “What can I do for you, oh so mighty Magpie?”

“If you’re going to be annoying then I won’t ask.”

“Fine by me,” Max retorted, “I don’t really care if you talk to me or not.”

Linette elbowed Maggie sharply, earning a muffled curse from the other girl. Linette leaned in and whispered something, and Maggie groaned audibly, but uncrossed her arms.

“We want a favor. It’s not just for me, it’s for my team, too.”

“Hit me.” Max sighed. “What is it now?” It wasn’t like Maggie generally asked for things. In fact, she was typically very independent, and so was her fledgeling team. Max knew the trio was working hard to gain respect from the older Renegades. But even so, Maggie was being annoying, and he wasn’t going to just take it. 

“We want you to talk to those dads of yours, and ask them to send different teams for the cleanup that’s bound to happen later. We’re sick of cleaning up messes. We want to be on patrols, or even just part of a night watch team.” Maggie bit her lip, then stopped and put her face in a scowl when she saw him notice. 

Max felt a sudden burst of sympathy for the girl and her team. He thought about how he’d feel if he was on a team and only ever got to do cleanup, after all the action was over. 

“Fine.” He conceded. “I can’t promise their response, but I will promise to ask them.” Maggie cracked something that was possibly akin to a smile, if you squinted hard enough. 

Next to her, Linette grinned unabashedly. And Daniel bumped his fist against the glass walls, like Adrian and Oscar sometimes did. 

The girls of the team trailed off, Maggie practically dragging Linette away, as if she couldn’t stand to be near him any longer, but Daniel stayed for a moment longer.

“You know, Bandit, Maggie isn’t always like this. She’s cool, most of the time.” He brushed his turquoise-tipped hair out of his face, which gave Max the bizarre thought that maybe he should dye his hair. 

“Well, I have yet to see any proof of that, so-”

Daniel snorted. “Fair enough. See you later.” The boy trailed off, humming something to himself in a foreign language, fiddling with a necklace on his throat. 

And even though he didn’t specifically want those friends, Max couldn’t help but speculate that having friends his age, instead of people nearing adulthood, might be nice. 

_Yeah_, he thought, watching Daniel and Linette and Maggie skirt through the crowds in the HQ, _it might be nice_.

~~~~

Later, when most everyone was in bed and most of the excitement of the day had died down, Max sat cross-legged on the floor of his quarantine and played cards with his dad.

They were playing Battle, which was Max’s current obsessive card game. His dad refused to teach him Poker or Blackjack, and Speed got boring after a few rounds. Battle was a game of pure luck, and Max could appreciate that.

“Battle!” He said with a grin, placing down a four of spades as Hugh placed down the same number, but in hearts. Hugh smiled back at him and placed three cards facedown. 

Max locked eyes with his dad and counted down dramatically, “Three, two… one!” The cards were flipped over, and Max cackled as he saw he had the larger one. He swept Hugh’s pile over to his and sorted through them quickly, adding them to his deck as he went. 

“A king! And a ten, and… an ace!” Hugh groaned, though the smile didn’t leave his face. The pair went back to slapping down cards and pushed them towards the other, Max’s deck increasing rapidly.

They had another battle, in which Max lost, but only gave away bad cards. They fell into comfortable silence in the almost-darkness of the Renegades HQ.

“Battle.” The cards were pulled, then they were flipped, and Max laughed again as his father gave away another ace. He showed off the card with a smirk, and Hugh chuckled. 

“Damn, Max, you’re lucky tonight.” Then he slapped a hand over his mouth, before quickly correcting himself. “I mean, dang, Max.” The ten-year-old boy snorted.

“Dad, I’m not that innocent. You should hear the kind of things Adrian’s team says. Ruby has a really filthy mouth sometimes, you know.” Max placed down another card to keep the game going.

“Well,” Hugh said, “I’m going to have to talk with your brother. They shouldn’t be using that kind of language around you-”

“Dad, don’t. You’re being such a dad.” Hugh rolled his eyes.

“Max, I am your dad. This is my job.”

“Well, Dad, can I dye my hair?” Max asked, using the same endearing grin that had worked on Adrian earlier.

“What? Where did that come from?” Hugh sighed as he lost another card to his son. 

“Daniel has his hair dyed blue. Just the tips.”

“No, you’re not dying your hair.” He stated firmly. “You’re ten years old, Max. Daniel is what, fifteen?”

“He’s twelve, Dad. And he’s the oldest of his team. Maggie and Linette are both eleven.”

“My answer is still no. And battle.” Max placed down three cards, noticing with a smirk that Hugh only had three cards left. He made sure to make a big show of removing one of his cards so he could rub it in his face that he was winning.

Hugh won the battle, much to Max’s dismay. Even so, he still had nearly the entire deck.

“Speaking of Daniel’s team, they asked me a favor today.” Max started out as nonchalantly as possible. He wanted to ask Simon, because he knew his Pops was a little more lenient with the younger teams, but Hugh was here now, and it needed to be asked.

“And what would that favor be?” Hugh won three rounds in a row, and Max had to hold back a curse. He had been so close to winning; he couldn’t let Hugh make a comeback now.

“Well, they wanted me to ask you if they could get another duty besides cleanup. They said they’re sick of cleaning up others’ messes and missing all the action.”

At that, Hugh stopped playing, pinning Max with a serious, Captain Chromium Look. Max gulped.

“Max.” Hugh started. “This isn’t okay. I don’t want people trying to get in with your dad, me, or the rest of the Council through you. You aren’t a go-between for complaints. I’m going to go talk to them.”

“But Dad,” Max countered, “Why do they have to be on cleanup all the time? They have really useful skills; I mean, Linette can breathe freaking fire, but you don’t want her on patrols?”

“It’s not a matter of abilities, Max. They’re kids, hardly older than you, and while it’s noble that they want to help the Renegades, I don’t want to risk their safety.” Max hated that he made sense.

“Alright. But don’t get them in too much trouble, please? They’re pretty nice- or at least some of them are.” Hugh nodded, the Look fading off his features as he reached out to ruffle Max’s shaggy hair.

“I promise I won’t. And now- can you beat that?” Max looked down to see Hugh slap a two of clubs onto the glass floor. The man snorted, obviously amused, until Max placed down another two, and the look changed to amazement. 

“What are they odds?” He muttered, placing down cards for another battle. Max won with a ten, leaving Hugh with one card. 

Max’s dad placed his final card, a six, and Max put down a jack. With a cackle, Max swept away the card and held it triumphantly over his head. Hugh groaned as his son danced away with the deck, holding up his win for the very few people still in HQ to see. 

When he sat back down, panting from laughter, Hugh leaned in to give him a hug. “Gotta go, bud. It’s late, and you need to get to bed.”

“Yeah.” Max conceded, feeling a yawn coming on from the mere mention of sleep. “But Dad, can I ask you something first?”

“Of course, Max.” 

The yawn happened, and his face scrunched for a moment, but when it was over he looked up to his dad. “Can you maybe consider giving the younger teams some other duties? Like, not all the time, but maybe every now and then? Just so they don’t get so bored?”

Hugh was silent for a moment, but he finally sighed and said, “I can’t promise, because it takes some work to rearrange the schedules, but I will consider it. That I can promise.”

“Thank you, Dad.” He let Hugh pull him into a tight, bone-crushing hug, and melted into him. It was so nice to be held.

“You go to bed, Max. We have a long day tomorrow.”

“Cleaning up from the parade?”

Hugh grimaced. “That, but other things too. The Renegades Trials are coming up in a week.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long to get out. I've been so freaking busy with school it's not even funny. And because of that this chapter is a little shorter, but at least it's here now. It just seemed like a good place to end it, so there. I hope you all enjoy it anyway! 
> 
> check out my tumblr at @creampuffqueen

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not a huge sucker for AUs, but here we are anyway. This is purely self indulgent anyway, so who cares?


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